


picture of you

by sunnilee



Series: mischief managed [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Feelings Realization, HP AU, because he's a lonely ravenclaw :(, cursed hp post turned wholesome, except he wants them to be enchanted magic photos, muggle studies inspires sylvain yet again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26699098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnilee/pseuds/sunnilee
Summary: Sylvain strongly supports Muggle Studies.He always gets new ideas and he always learns so much from the class....sometimes, too much.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Glenn Fraldarius & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Sylvain Jose Gautier, Minor Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth - Relationship
Series: mischief managed [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918690
Comments: 14
Kudos: 35





	picture of you

**Author's Note:**

> it was supposed to be a short fluffy piece and somehow I ended up here :').

Contrary to popular belief, Sylvain’s favorite class is tied between Transfiguration and Muggle Studies.

And _no_ , it’s _not_ because he thinks Professor Flayn is cuter than Professor Hanneman (although certifiably _true_ ). It’s more so because every lesson of Muggle Studies always seems to bring something he never thought twice about to light.

Like now, where he sits in his inconspicuous middle-of-the-classroom seat and is struck with a question that both makes his head spin with ideas and his heart sink.

_Why doesn’t he have any pictures of his friends?_

A flurry of rustling papers and textbooks thudding shut signal the end of class. Sylvain absently clears his desk and tucks his belongings away, mind already wandering to the next Hogsmeade trip.

* * *

Glenn raises an eyebrow at him, but Sylvain remains steadfast in his resolve, shaking the camera lens at the older Fraldarius one more time. “ _C’mon_ Glenn! I don’t have any pictures of you guys, and I’m all alone in my own house. Let a guy be sentimental!”

Glenn narrows his eyes and scoffs, the tiny smile on his face betraying his true thoughts when he reaches over and musses Sylvain’s hair. “Not my fault you actually turned out to be a smartass. Wouldn’t have guessed it with that thick skull of yours.”

“Thick skull—hey!” Sylvain swings an arm out to catch Glenn by the shoulder and tugs the older boy down, other hand ripping out the tie holding his hair back. “The thick skull protects my big brain!”

Hair loose and wild, Glenn lunges at him and wrangles him into a headlock. Sylvain’s heart stops for just a second until he realizes Glenn has left enough space for him to breathe. Hands waving in mock surrender, Glenn makes an absolute mess of his red hair before releasing him just enough to let him snap a photo of the two of them, smiles wide and school robes in complete disarray.

* * *

A picture of Dimitri is surprisingly easy, even with smuggling the camera into the library. He caught his friend studying at a table by the floor-length window, a perfect view of the school grounds.

Well… _“studying”_. As soon as he neared, Sylvain could make out the multiple Potions books open in front of his childhood friend, but his blonde head was pointedly turned out toward the window. Specifically, out toward the Great Lake where a lone figure was wandering the border before she settled against the trunk of an elder tree.

Eyebrows rising, Sylvain raises his camera and whispers a quiet _Silencio_ to silence the obnoxious _crack_ that came with snapping photos.

He couldn’t, however, prevent the sudden flash that caused Dimitri’s head to whip around, eyes wide, cheeks flushed, like he was caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing.

That, or he was caught ogling the girl in Hufflepuff. Byleth? He thinks that was her name.

Smiling widely, Sylvain saunters over and slides into the empty seat across from Dimitri as he puts up the farce of looking busy, hurriedly tapping his quill in his inkpot as the blush on his face reaches his ears. Unwilling to let this opportunity go, Sylvain clears his throat. “Something distracting you from your studies, Dimitri? If I remember correctly, this Potions assignment was an absolute pain to get through.”

Shaking his head wildly, Dimitri avoids his smirk, looking everywhere but him. “Nothing of the sort, I assure you! Just… needed to let my eyes take a break. I’ve been staring at these texts all day. The assignment is indeed as you remember.”

Sylvain nods sagely and directs his gaze out the window, humming lightly. “Well, if you’re looking at where I think you’re looking, she is rather easy on the eyes, isn’t she?”

Dimitri’s eyes snap to his, startingly blue yet still completely flustered. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sylvain smiles innocently back and shrugs. “Sure thing, Dima.”

His friend fidgets in place and can’t help glance back at the window before returning Sylvain’s knowing look. “Anyway, that’s besides the point. Where did you get the muggle camera from?”

Perking up, Sylvain quickly surveys the library for Tomas before pulling the camera back out, his voice filled with hushed excitement. “Last Hogsmeade trip. Professor Flayn gave me an idea that wouldn’t let me rest. So, I went looking for an enchanted camera, but… I ended up finding this one instead in a pawn shop. I enchanted it myself so it could produce the moving photographs.”

Dimitri’s face lit up and he set his quill down. “That’s amazing, Sylvain! How long did it take for you to charm it?”

Leaning back in the chair, Sylvain tucks the camera away and chews on his lip. “Hm… maybe two weeks or so? The first few times didn’t turn out quite right… Muggles don’t have magic, but their technology is surprisingly advanced in a different way. Had to make sure the magic didn’t interfere with the photo’s normal development process.”

Laughing lightly, Dimitri shakes his head. “It’s incredible, Sylvain. No wonder you’re in Ravenclaw.”

Sylvain’s chest tightens, his voice suddenly stuck in his throat, eyes flickering away from his friend’s. “It’s… it’s nothing. Anyone could do it.”

Dimitri nudges him from across the table. “Except that they didn’t. You did. You’re better than you think you are, Sylvain. Truly.”

He swallows thickly, the whispers of his parents and brother ringing in his ears. _Worthless waste of space. Couldn’t even get into Slytherin. The barest minimum he couldn’t even meet. A complete and utter disappointment—_

“Sylvain?”

His eyes snap back to Dimitri’s, his breathing far shallower than he realized. He gulps and inhales deeply to calm his racing heart. “I’m just… I miss being with you guys. We’re scattered across all four houses, it gets isolating sometimes.”

“Is that what the photos are for?”

Sylvain smiles. “You’re not so slow after all, Dima.”

Dimitri flushes again. “ _Sylvain—_ ”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Now, where are you in your assignment? There are some shortcuts to making this potion that doesn’t result in an explosion contrary to what the textbook states.”

* * *

Finding Felix was easy, snapping a photo proved more difficult.

Slytherin Quidditch practice ended ages ago, but Felix stayed behind to keep running flying drills on his broomstick. His eyes followed his friend’s blurred figure as he dipped and committed to rolling tumbles high above the quidditch pitch.

After another ten minutes of watching Sylvain settles at the edge of the field, camera tucked into his robes. A few more sharp turns later, Felix laps the field twice more before descending to where he sits, sweat lining his brow. He kicks up his broomstick to rest it over his shoulders, disgruntled expression on his face as he stalks toward him. Before he could get close enough to berate him for who knows what, Sylvain quickly raises the camera and snaps a shot, purposefully leaving out the _Silencio_ spell.

The flash leaves Felix blinking away the stars in his eyes, the _crack_ of the camera making his ears ring. By the time he shakes it off, Sylvain is already sprinting away, his laughter carried by the wind.

Irritation wells in his chest as he chases his friend all the way to the locker rooms, only to have Sylvain take another picture when he bust the door open.

“ _Sylvain—”_

“I needed you in your most natural state! How else am I supposed to commemorate my friends accurately?”

Felix moves to wrestle the camera away from him, so Sylvain launches it in the other direction to divert his friend’s oncoming tackle. With Felix’s eyes following the camera’s arc like the Seeker he is, Sylvain runs back toward the entrance of the lockers and casts a quick _Accio_ before it hits the ground, already halfway out the door before Felix can change direction.

Flying drills or not, there’s a reason Sylvain became Ravenclaw’s best chaser. With Felix hot on his heels, Sylvain prays they don’t have to find a replacement before the next match.

* * *

The smile Ingrid wears whenever she has a plate piled high with food makes his heart swell and the tips of his fingers tingle.

So, after a particularly large bite of treacle tart, Sylvain pulls out the camera and takes a picture.

Like Felix, Ingrid blinks several times before shaking her head lightly. _Unlike_ Felix, a cute blush dusts her full cheeks and his heart skips a beat. She swallows quickly and lunges across the small table in the kitchens. “ _Sylvain!”_

Sending a quick and only thanks to his genetics for his long arms, Sylvain keeps the camera out of reach and smiles. “What? I thought you looked cute. You’re the happiest when you’re eating, and I want photos of all my friends at their best.”

He briefly thinks back to Felix’s murderous glare over dinner and internally amends his statement to _most of my friends_ , because if he ever waited for Felix to willingly smile for a photo for him, he might as well reconcile with his brother at that point.

Ingrid fidgets in her seat, her eyes studying the intricate porcelain of the plate in front of her, flush still coloring her cheeks. “You could’ve warned me.”

“Then it wouldn’t be a candid shot!”

Sighing heavily, Ingrid glances warily at the camera in his hold before looking back at him. “What are you going to do with the photos anyway? I heard from Glenn you took one of him earlier. Felix and Dimitri too.”

Something in him stirs at the mention of Glenn and he quickly stamps it down, shrugging as he takes a sip of pumpkin juice. “Professor Flayn mentioned how muggles often carry photos of their best friends with them, or have them to decorate their personal spaces. I didn’t have any of you guys, so I figured I’d get some. It gets lonely in Ravenclaw by myself, y’know?”

Ingrid’s eyes soften and she sets her dessert down. “Sylvain…”

His stomach rolls uncomfortably at the tone of her voice and he flashes a quick smile. “Just being sentimental is all. Our schedules don’t line up much anymore now that I have O.W.L.’s to factor in, so I guess I’m feeling it now more than ever. Not being around all of you all the time that is.”

His fingers twitch as Ingrid’s hand covers his, the warmth of her palm heating his skin and the back of his neck alike. His eyes flicker up to hers uncertainly as her grip tightens on him. “We’re here for you, you know that right?”

Sylvain’s mouth dries and he wets his lips. “Yeah. I know.”

Ingrid squeezes his hand one last time, eyes boring into him. “I mean it, Sylvain. Whatever, whenever. I’ll be there.”

His chest twists and he ducks his head, the fingers of his free hand tapping along the body of the camera. “Thanks, Ing.”

He doesn’t have to see her face to know she’s smiling. “Just… don’t make me clean up after you anymore. Your quidditch fangirls can get quite vicious.”

He smiles weakly. “No promises.”

That night, when he goes back to the Ravenclaw common room alone, Ingrid’s warmth remaining on his skin and her words lingering in his head.

_Whatever, whenever. I’ll be there._

His roommates Ignatz and Lindhart are already asleep, so he casts a _Silencio_ around his bed and gets to developing his photos. Tiny black squares print out of the camera and he fixes them with a quick sticking charm to his bedpost, staring blankly at the hazy figures beginning to appear.

Sylvain’s pretty sure his movement charm worked to bring the photos back to life.

He hopes they fill the hole in his chest he didn’t even know he had.

* * *

His charm worked well.

Almost too well.

He hears Glenn’s snicker first, followed by his sarcastic drawl, “aw, baby’s all grown up, huh?”

The girl he snuck into his room freezes just as his hands reach her hips, Felix’s voice cutting into the air next. “Goddess, right in front of us? Have you no shame? Actually, don’t answer that. Of course you don’t.”

Dimitri’s voice joins in. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t do this anymore, Sylvain.”

_Definitely too well._

The girl pulls back from him, her eyes darting over his room before looking back at him with confusion. “I thought you said your roommates were out…”

“They _are_ —”

“Sylvain, not many things can make me lose my appetite, yet you somehow manage.”

Pushing back from him completely, the girl’s eyes narrow at him. “I should leave.”

Inhaling deeply, he runs a hand through his hair and turns his back on her. “Yeah, probably.”

With a sharp huff, he hears the fading clicks of her heels and whirls around to glare at the pictures of his best friends. “When I took photos of you guys, this isn’t what I meant by keeping me company.”

Despite being in separate photographs, all of them have mirrored stances, arms crossed, varying degrees of disappointment and disgust across their faces.

Save for Glenn. Photograph Glenn has his arms crossed over his stomach, eyes shut with laughter as he bends over out of frame. Even Photograph Sylvain sharing the same space shakes his head in disappointment.

He rolls his eyes and mock glares at Photograph Felix and Dimitri. “Both of you could’ve just left the frames! And _you,_ ” his eyes flashing over to Photograph Ingrid, “what happened to ’ _whatever, whenever’_? I thought you were on my side!”

Taking another bite of the pastry in the photograph, Photograph Ingrid shrugs. “Figured I would look after you and myself, clean up a mess before it happened.”

Groaning loudly, Sylvain hastily takes down the pictures. He hears the feeble protests from his Photograph Friends and pointedly ignores them as he moves to shove them into a drawer. Just as he’s about to put Ingrid’s face down, he catches sight of her picking at the food on her plate. His throat tightens and he closes the drawer, suddenly paranoid that the other pictures would hear him. “…Did I really make you lose your appetite?”

Photograph Ingrid looks up at him briefly before looking away again, sighing. “I don’t want to see you get hurt, Sylvain.”

He stills. “I’m not going to get hurt, Ing. It’s the opposite of that more than anything—”

“That’s _exactly_ what I mean! You flirt with anything that has a pulse, offend people left and right, and constantly cause commotion!”

He winces. “Huh… the truth really does hurt.”

Photograph Ingrid exhales sharply, turning her eyes to him. “We’re in different houses now, Sylvain. I can’t keep following in your shadow and keep caring for you if I’m not around. Promise me you’ll be more careful?”

His heart flutters in his chest and he gulps. “Okay… I promise.”

She sends him a weak smile back before turning back to her food, still only looking rather than eating. Thinning his lips, Sylvain takes out the rest of his photographs and hangs them back up.

He promised he would be more careful, so… definitely no more bringing girls back to his dormitory.

* * *

Sylvain’s been careful. He’s been _extremely_ careful.

Except apparently, his ‘careful’ doesn’t mean shit.

Every time he’s tried to flirt with a girl, all he remembers is the expression on Ingrid’s— _Photograph Ingrid’s_ face—and he ends up pushing the other girl away. It’s happened for over a week and it’s driving him insane.

Sure, his room is a lot more lively now that the photographs of his friends can keep him occupied later into the night than their counterparts… but he’s started to notice an awful lurching of his stomach each time he sees Ingrid.

 _Real_ Ingrid.

Their different class schedules had kept them all apart for the past few months, and with O.W.L’s on the horizon, he’s been running between classes and quidditch practice with barely any time to actually catch up with any of them.

On one particularly trying night, Real Ingrid caught him by the elbow and dragged him off to the kitchens, all but shoving him down into the chair of their usual table and pushing a plate of food in front of him. Her face was stern and her eyes were hard, but it really only worsened the flipping of his stomach as she commanded him, “ _eat_.”

He automatically took a dinner roll and took a bite, still trying to quell the sudden racing of his heart. _It’s just Ingrid. He hasn’t seen her in weeks. It’s just Ingrid. Did her hair get longer?_

_It’s just. Ingrid._

“Are you going to tell me why you’ve suddenly dropped off the face of the planet, or am I going to find myself apologizing again to a hoard of girls you’ve somehow scorned?”

“I’ve been busy!”

Ingrid’s eyebrows rose. “Too busy to eat?”

Sylvain huffed and pointedly took another bite. “ _Yes,_ too busy to eat. Quidditch has been keeping me busy because we have a shot at the Cup, and then O.W.L.’s are coming up, so _those_ classes have kept me occupied every second I spend off the pitch… I’m _exhausted_ , Ingrid.”

She blinked at him and tilted her head curiously. “…No girls?”

He sighed wearily and dragged a hand over his face. “No time, no mood.” _That_ earned him a snort and he shot her a mock glare. “What?”

“Who are you and what have you done to Sylvain Jose Gautier, Ravenclaw Chaser Extraordinaire?”

“Ha, very funny. I thought you asked me to stop making you clean up my messes.”

“And I recall you saying, ‘ _no promises’._ We’ve been trying to get you to stop for _years._ What finally made you change?”

He wrinkled his brow, the reflexive _‘you did, you're all I think about’_ on the tip of tongue, when he choked on the realization. He ended up with a coughing fit that Ingrid handed him a glass of water to soothe his throat. Several gulps later, Sylvain’s blood was pounding in his ears as Ingrid peered at him with concern. “You okay?”

“F-fine! I’m fine.” Absolutely _not_ fine with how high his voice went.

Likewise, Ingrid didn’t look convinced, but let the subject drop, taking a bread roll off his plate for herself.

He spent the rest of their impromptu second dinner willing the blush on his neck from reaching his face. He walked Ingrid back to Gryffindor Tower, his skin tingling when she took his hand and squeezed it, murmuring a soft, “take care of yourself, Sylvain.”

The walk back to the Ravenclaw Tower was a blur, his mind racing with the things he almost said and the things that just came to light.

He flops onto his bed and buries his head into his pillow.

It didn’t matter how careful he was.

Sylvain could be the most careful person in the world, but it still wouldn’t have prepared him to realize he caught feelings for his best friend.

He’s got _feelings_ for Ingrid.

He has feelings, for _Ingrid_.

He groans loudly into his pillow before flipping around, his breathing shallow, heart hammering in his chest as his stomach rolls uncomfortably.

_What is he supposed to do now?_


End file.
